Copolymer-1 is a complex mixture of polypeptides prepared from the polymerization of the amino acids glutamic acid, lysine, alanine and tyrosine. Copolymer-1 also is known as glatiramer acetate and has the following structural formula:(Glu,Ala,Lys,Tyr)xXCH3COOH (C5H9NO4.C3H7NO2.C6H14N2O2.C9H11NO3)x.XC2H4O2
Glatiramer acetate (GA) is the active ingredient of COPAXONE® (Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Israel), which comprises the acetate salts of synthetic polypeptides containing four naturally occurring amino acids: L-glutamic acid, L-alanine, L-tyrosine, and L-lysine, with a reported average molar fraction of 0.141, 0.427, 0.095, and 0.338, respectively.
Glatiramer acetate is used in the treatment of the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis (RRMS).